Seattle Sounders vs. Timbers MLS love ‘em and hate ‘em | Recap

Sounders/Timbers Game Summary

ESPN could not have picked a better MLS game to televise than the Cascadia Cup match between the Portland Timbers (4-6-4, 16 points) and the Seattle Sounders FC (7-5-4, 25 points).

In front of a routine standing room only sold-out crowd of 20,438 at Jeld-Wen Field the Portland Timbers endured a second-half Seattle goal as well as a 90th-minute scuffle to keep coach John Spencer’s job for one more week as they knocked off the rival Sounders 2-1.

Love ‘Em

1). Timbers Early Offense

In the first 25 minutes of play, the Timbers were able to tally two goals.

First Scottish striker Kris Boyd, who has been criticized by fans for not living up to the hype that matches his brilliant European career helped to prove his mettle in the Cascadian tilt as he scored on a cross in the 16th minute which found the back of the Sounders net.

The goal set the tone early in the game and capitalized on a raucous crowd. The smoke bombs continued when David Horst took a corner off of the foot of Franck Songo’o in the 25th minute and scored his first career goal.

Delirium ensued as the Sounders ultimately fell into a hole that was too deep to climb out.

2). History and a Spark

Sunday’s win over the Sounders gave Portland its first ever win over the Sounders in MLS action, a small, but significant footnote in Timbers’ history.

The victory was significant in the way that the team won leading from the early first half, and dominating throughout the rest of a high-tempo and maddening game where defensive stands were required to secure three points.

Additionally, for the future of the Timbers’ 2012 aspirations this was just their second win in their last seven league games, but is a great momentum builder as they have the opportunity to gain more ground in the conference standings in Denver.

ESPN could not have picked a better MLS game to televise. JELD-WEN Field on June 24, 2012. (Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers)

Hate ‘Em

1). Inability to Play Smart in Second Half

Portland has given up an MLS-high seven goals in the 76th minute or later of a game, and these goals have cost them matches. The defense gave up the a goal early in the second half to Eddie Johnson, on a beauty from just outside the box that goalkeeper Troy Perkins had no way of reaching.

As a result, Timbers fans were given haunting flashbacks of losses similar to the one against Real Salt Lake when the team let a lead slip away in the second half because of their inability to clear the ball out of their zone late.

In the last ten minutes the Timbers failed to adequately clear, as the Timbers faithful held their collective breath. Seattle failed to capitalize on multiple chances on the Timbers’ side of the field.

2). Llovel Palmer Red Card

Palmer was given a red card and shown the subsequent exit when he elbowed Johnson during a melee that sent Timbers killer Fredy Montero from the field with a red card of his own.

What made Palmer’s red worse than Montero’s, was that Palmer had nothing worth fighting over with a Timbers’ lead in the 90th minute. Montero and the Sounders had been caught up in a combination of frustration, a aof Timbers Army verbal assualts, and overall physical play.

Palmer cost himself a game next week and could have cost the Timbers one as both squads played with 10 men in six minutes of stoppage time.

The Timbers is now in eighth in the Western Conference will face sixth-place Colorado next Saturday in MLS action. meanwhile the fourth-place Sounders only have a day to dwell on the match as they roll into the Bay Area for a US Open Cup match Tuesday at the San Jose Earthquakes.